Taming question

[WendyBella]

Ive been trying to tame Bella for 3 weeks. She will nervously eat apple from my hand but then backs off. I talk to her alot and she squalks when im not in the room but i dont feel like im making anymore progress. Is there anything else I should be doing? I thought about trying to target train her but she wont come near me if i have the target in my hand even with apple on offer .

 

[Kiwibird]

Just be patient and keep up with what you're doing. 3 weeks may seem like a long time to you, but she is probably still settling into her new home and getting used to her new family and routine. Plus, some parrots are just more timid than others and take longer.

If you want to target train her, I'd suggest putting the stick in full view of her cage, as close as possible so she can see it and begin to recognize it as a non-threat (could take days or even weeks depending how frightened she is of it). You can also 'play' with it yourself when you are in the vicinity and really make a big deal about how fun it is and even give yourself a 'treat' while playing with it. Help her make the connection with the stick being fun and gaining treats, not a threat or punishment thing.

 

[WendyBella]

Thank you ill keep at it and try playing with the target.

I thought id made some progress a couple of days ago and she seemed to be enjoying my company but the next day she seemed to have taken a step back again. Is this normal?